On our second night in Shanghai we went for something different and visited Fu He Hui. I am always curious about this restaurant as this is one of the two vegetarian places awarded a star in the local Michelin Guide, and ranked highly as one of the Asia’s best.
The Chinese name of the restaurant literally meant “blessings (福) and wisdoms (慧)” but probably went a little deeper in Buddhist philosophical sense. While that’s about the only religious reference you would find in the restaurant, there’s a subtle sense of Zen throughout the building with the minimalist design and the spacious dining area that spanned across 3 levels of a low-rise mansion in the older part of Shanghai. Upon entry through the main entrance on street level, we were led to the second floor where the main dining hall is, at a table in one corner. A few other groups of customer were already there eating, but all tables were so spread out that their presence was hardly noticeable. I also loved the natural color tone accented with dark wood furniture and tastefully arranged decorations and paintings throughout the building providing just the right mood for this kind of meal.
Three tasting menus were offered for their dinner service, differed by the number of dishes served and some slight variances in ingredients used. Fearing a meatless menu would not fill us up properly, we went for the 9-course menu. Tea pairing was offered as an option but we declined and opted for juices and beers. (they also got a decent wine menu too in case you are wondering) And I was properly impressed with all the dishes served.
I would say the style of the food is a fine-balance between western haute cuisine, Japanese shojin-ryori and traditional local cooking, taken in the best of each elements for an unique dining experience. We began with a trio of canapes served like amuse-bouche - fresh nectarines were marinated with roselle syrup, thinly sliced and presented in fan-shape, then rice crisps topped with water chestnut cream and finger lime caviar, and lastly, rose “marcarons” with watermelon jelly. All on the sweet side and I especially liked the super soft macarons that almost melted in my mouth.
The first course was listed as “Eight Treasures”, which is a vegetable terrine with seasonal asparagus, soybean, baby corn, okra, Chinese celery set in a gelatin and topped with umibudo (Okinawan sea grapes) and a light sauce made with vegetarian dashi, soy sauce and celery oil. A tad bit too heavy on the soy sauce flavor but overall I love the clean umami taste and thought this is a perfect starter in such hot and humid weather. Next was a consommé served in a dark ceramics bowl – the soup base was delicious with hint of mushrooms and in the bowl there was bamboo pith and Chinese “night fragrant flower” more often found in Cantonese cuisine.
Our third course was another beautifully done dish. On a celadon-glazed porcelain deep dish with thickened consommé and a carved piece of white gourd (better known as winter gourd in Chinese) mixed with mashed taro and yuzu with a hint of sweetness. I love the unusual combination of common seasonal ingredients with exquisite presentation. Lotus Root was the main ingredient for our next course, which was prepared two ways. First it was steamed and mashed then battered and deep-fried – it’s then served with sprinkles of dehydrated tomato powder, salted egg yolk sauce on top and garnished with a piece of lotus leaf. I thought the tomato powder was more for the presentation but turned out the subtle taste worked well to contrast the rather mild lotus root. Then in a small bowl was lotus root puree topped with lily bulb petals.
The termite mushroom was perhaps the most interesting dish of the evening in terms of flavor. Served in a bamboo basket with a few pieces of termite mushrooms which were marinated with soy, steamed then smoked with black tea and sugar. Underneath the bamboo basket was a bowl with a burning cinnamon stick for the extra smoky flavor. The corn dish was outstanding – underneath the thin slices of corn (had no idea how they managed to do that) and hazelnut powder were yam and rice cake cut in equal sizes and sautéed with a spicy soybean paste. The contrast of textures from the crunchy yam and bouncy rice cake worked perfectly well with the sauce that reminded me of the traditional zhajiang noodles 炸醬麵 common in Northern Chinese cuisine.
One couldn’t find more ordinary ingredients as onions and potatoes, but here it’s turned into something extraordinary with potato puree mixed with sautéed onions and black truffles, steamed and served in a chawanmushi-like presentation inside a golden bowl (that shaped like an onion). Like a formal kaiseki-meal, we finished with the rice course. It’s cooked in a clay casserole and brought to our table. The rice was cooked with mild soy sauce, matsutake mushrooms and peas, and fried shallots were added in and mixed together with the rice just before they were spooned into a bowl and serve.
Dessert was done in western style, with tieguanyin tea panna cotta, cream cheese, peach and on top, a piece of edible flower petal resembling a butterfly. Petit fours was served in a little bamboo basket, with a pair of mini bites – the walnut pastry and a piece of sticky rice dumpling. I was worried that I might need a second meal after this, but turned out it was satisfying, and every one of the dishes were well thought of and well executed. Truly one of the best.
More photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/g4gary/albums/72157709383912741
When? June 30 2019
Where? Fu He Hui, 1037 Yuyuan Lu, Changning District, Shanghai, China
福和慧 中國上海愚園路1037號
Menu Highlights? Corn, Yam, Rice Cake, Hazelnut
Web:
(Michelin Guide) https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Restaurant/Shanghai-_-Fu_He_Hui-yinkd4bu
(World’s 50 Best) https://www.theworlds50best.com/asia/en/list/21-30/Fu-He-Hui.html
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